Belchertown butcher Mary Poehnelt chops her way into the top 5 of Fox's 'Hell's Kitchen'

HELL'S KITCHEN: Mary Poehnelt of Belchertown, Mass. is a contestant on season 11 of "Hell's Kitchen" on FOX.

Chef and butcher Mary Poehnelt is back in the pressure cooker again when she competes for one of the four slots on Thursday's episode of Fox's hit reality show, "Hell's Kitchen."

The 26-year-old Belchertown resident started off strong in the competition against 19 other promising chefs from across the country and has made it to the top five.

"It’s challenging to do things within a set time limit and push my limits," Poehnelt said.

Chefs compete to win the praise, if not respect, of Chef Gordon Ramsay, which is a challenging feat.

Ramsay is known for his brutal criticism that has brought contestants to tears on occasion, which Poehnelt confirmed is not an act.

Though Ramsay comes across as harsh on the show, Poehnelt say's she doesn't mind his criticism.

"My favorite part so far, as crazy as it sounds, has been Chef Ramsay and his personality. When he’s yelling at you he’s trying to push you to be better," said Poehnelt.

The winner of the reality show will become head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

For this week's competition, Poehnelt and the other four remaining contestants will meet two guest judges, Lesley Bargar Suter, dine editor of "Los Angeles" magazine and Nancy Silverton, chef/partner of Osteria Mozza.

When asked about her competition in this round, Poehnelt said she thought everyone left is "really super skillful," but she has her eyes on two in particular.

"Jon [Scallion] and Ja'Nel [Witt] are phenomenal they’re both extremely creative and people to look out for," said Poehnelt.

Though she is one of the top five chefs on the show now, Poehnelt didn't start off her career the way people would expect; she simply made sandwiches.

"I moved to Buffalo when I was 20 and I was hired at a cafe because I knew how to make sandwiches... four years into it, I realized it was something I wanted to do with my life," said Poehnelt.

After moving to New York City so that her husband could attend New York University, Poehnelt attended culinary school and expanded her skills and love of cooking.

Poehnelt is currently a butcher at Whole Foods in Hadley and she operates Chef Mary's Club Gastronomie, a supper club that takes place once a month in varying locations.

As for other chefs trying to grow in the culinary industry, Poehnelt offered them a little advice.

"Don't stop. Don't settle. Push yourself as most as you can while you still can. And don't give up, never give up," said Poehnelt.

No matter the outcome of the show, Poehnelt says she will continue pushing herself in the culinary field.

"I want to keep cooking and growing as a chef. I want to try new cuisines and develop new skills," said Poehnelt.

Viewers will have to watch and see if Poehnelt can win Ramsay's praise and make it through this next round of eliminations Thursday, at 8 p.m.